Note: I was not paid nor sponsored to do this toy review. This is completely out of appreciation of the figure. Also you may click on the images for a high quality view of the statue. Thank you!

Credits: Figure and photography courtesy of my boyfriend, P.

For this toy review, I’ll be putting the spotlight on one of the figures from the successful and coveted Kotobukiya Bishoujo collection: DC’s Batgirl, who debuted as the first DC superheroine Kotobukiya produced in their Bishoujo collection to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of DC Comics.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with the toy line yet, the Kotobukiya Bishoujo Collection is probably one of Kotobukiya’s most successful and impressive endeavors to date. Kotobukiya teamed up with renowned illustrator Shunya Yamashita for the concept art of the toy line, giving the prominent and well-loved femme fatales and superheroines we know a bishoujo (pretty girl) twist. The incredible anime-pin-up rendition of the characters and their overall quality as statues makes them one of the most sought-after toy lines ever.

Batgirl was a fantastic choice as a beginning to the Kotobukiya Bishoujo’s D.C line, being the iconic and lovely red-haired crime-fighter who functions as the crime-fighting colleague of Batman and Robin since her introduction in the 70s. I have great love for this Batgirl statue, even if she isn’t one of the Bishoujos that are truly my favorites. How can anyone not love Batgirl’s Bishoujo rendition with her sexy costume and alluring pose that’s sure to stop villains in their tracks?

Clad in a blue cape and bat-eared cowl, black bodysuit and yellow utility belt, gloves and boots, Batgirl was actually the mild-mannered librarian Barbara Gordon, the daughter of Commissioner Gordon. The rest of the world definitely thought that Barbara was just a “plain Jane”, with her granny glasses and tightly wrapped hair. No one thought that this plain Jane had the personality of a fun and raging young tigress underneath those drab librarian clothes and that she’ll eventually brighten the crime fighting spree of the Dynamic Duo.

The figure certainly does not disappoint and captures the young courageous spirit of Barbs, styling her with one foot resting on a gargoyle, accentuating her stunning, ridiculously long legs while she slyly spins her cape in front of her. This stance that she does is confident, imposing and mysterious at the same time, like she just surprised and caught you doing a crime.

One of my favorite things about this figure is Barb’s face. It’s well-sculpted and I’m glad she looks so expressive, even with the restriction of something covering her face. She doesn’t have “dead eyes” and she has a smile that could’ve came after a confident chuckle. Her whole expression to me reads as “I’ll show you a far more imposing girl tonight! You ain’t seen nothing yet“.

A lot of attention was put into how Batgirl was sculpted for sure as evident by the great detailing. Atelier Bamboo was the one responsible for her sculpt and I’m sure he painstakingly worked hard on it and for sure, the hard work paid off. It definitely captured Shunya Yamashita’s rendition of Barbs wonderfully, with her slim body realistically proportioned with curves in the right places. She looks lithe and sexy, without being too slutty (there’s a fine line with that). Even the smallest detail such as creases of her suit, boots and gloves as she grasps and pulls her cape wasn’t overlooked!

The color scheme is what I’m actually crazy about as well. There’s also a variant of this Batgirl Bishoujo which features her in a black costume, but P and I preferred the classic blue-gray color scheme. Both are actually well done, but it’s really up to your taste. P and I love the classic blue-gray color scheme on her since it’s striking in its on way and it makes her pop in your shelf. We’ve seen Batgirl with a dark costume way too many times and the blue costume is refreshing to look at.

Overall, the paint job is excellent! The colors are consistent with no paint rubs at all. The gloss on her vibrant blue cape gives the cape a beautiful liquid quality, which goes nicely with the flare of her cape. Her grey suit has the right amount of sheen to it that doesn’t take away the flashy quality of the beautiful shade of deep gold of her Bat symbol, utility belt, gloves and boots.

The paint job on Batgirl’s red hair really works with the shimmery quality that brings out the shading in the hair, giving the illusion of volume. I love how it was molded and how it rests on her head, given that she has a bat cowl over it. It’s molded in such a way that it billows against the wind and it doesn’t look awkward at all. It beautifully frames her face and the red gives a great contrast against the blue cape.

The base is another highlight of the figure and adds a bit of a flare to the overall look. I’m just glad the base isn’t overdone so that it doesn’t distract us from our femme caped crusader. The classic Gotham gargoyle has some great detailing and well-painted distressed effect to give it an “ancient” look. It’s made of high-quality PVC plastic, the same material that the actual figure of Batgirl is made of. Together with the base, Batgirl stands approximately 9 inches tall which is a bit larger than the usual Bishoujo scale.

And now, this is the part where I say my final thoughts on the figure and you all probably guessed that I’m saying it’s a MUST BUY! The Batgirl Bishoujo is an attractive and well-constructed figure and truly one of the best in the Bishoujo line. She looks dynamic with a great balance of cute and incredibly alluring qualities with the signature “anime pin-up” style Kotobukiya Bishoujo’s are well-known for.

If you want to know more about the other Bishoujos from the collection, you may check out my other reviews here:

R

R has a prodigious appetite for books and excellent lasagna.

No experience has been too unimportant, and the smallest event unfolds like a fate, and fate itself is like a wonderful, wide fabric in which every thread is guided by an infinitely tender hand and laid alongside another thread and is held and supported by a hundred others.
- Rainer Maria Rilke